diff --git a/qutebrowser/app.py b/qutebrowser/app.py
index dd7db5c84..85db46ed1 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/app.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/app.py
@@ -546,12 +546,16 @@ class Application(QApplication):
         log.destroy.debug("args: {}".format(args))
         log.destroy.debug("cwd: {}".format(cwd))
         # Open a new process and immediately shutdown the existing one
-        if cwd is None:
-            subprocess.Popen(args)
+        try:
+            if cwd is None:
+                subprocess.Popen(args)
+            else:
+                subprocess.Popen(args, cwd=cwd)
+        except OSError as e:
+            log.destroy.error("Failed to restart: {}".format(e))
         else:
-            subprocess.Popen(args, cwd=cwd)
-        if shutdown:
-            self.shutdown()
+            if shutdown:
+                self.shutdown()
 
     @cmdutils.register(instance='app', split=False, debug=True)
     def debug_pyeval(self, s):
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
index 22dc1e232..deac9b26c 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/commands.py
@@ -794,7 +794,11 @@ class CommandDispatcher:
             *args: The commandline to execute.
         """
         log.procs.debug("Executing: {}".format(args))
-        subprocess.Popen(args)
+        try:
+            subprocess.Popen(args)
+        except OSError as e:
+            raise cmdexc.CommandError("Error while spawning command: "
+                                      "{}".format(e))
 
     @cmdutils.register(instance='command-dispatcher', scope='window')
     def home(self):
diff --git a/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py b/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
index 30ac0e361..599a9fd75 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/browser/hints.py
@@ -420,7 +420,11 @@ class HintManager(QObject):
         """Spawn a simple command from a hint."""
         urlstr = url.toString(QUrl.FullyEncoded | QUrl.RemovePassword)
         args = self._context.get_args(urlstr)
-        subprocess.Popen(args)
+        try:
+            subprocess.Popen(args)
+        except OSError as e:
+            msg = "Error while spawning command: {}".format(e)
+            message.error(self._win_id, msg, immediately=True)
 
     def _resolve_url(self, elem, baseurl=None):
         """Resolve a URL and check if we want to keep it.
diff --git a/qutebrowser/utils/version.py b/qutebrowser/utils/version.py
index d99ad8176..09bf5dc1c 100644
--- a/qutebrowser/utils/version.py
+++ b/qutebrowser/utils/version.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ def _git_str_subprocess(gitpath):
             ['git', 'show', '-s', '--format=%ci', 'HEAD'],
             cwd=gitpath).decode('UTF-8').strip()
         return '{} ({})'.format(cid, date)
-    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, FileNotFoundError):
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, OSError):
         return None
 
 
diff --git a/scripts/asciidoc2html.py b/scripts/asciidoc2html.py
index 878311eb6..c5da58b86 100755
--- a/scripts/asciidoc2html.py
+++ b/scripts/asciidoc2html.py
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ def call_asciidoc(src, dst):
     args.append(src)
     try:
         subprocess.check_call(args)
-    except subprocess.CalledProcessError as e:
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, OSError) as e:
         utils.print_col(str(e), 'red')
         sys.exit(1)
     except FileNotFoundError:
diff --git a/scripts/run_checks.py b/scripts/run_checks.py
index b44cad822..04766aa3b 100755
--- a/scripts/run_checks.py
+++ b/scripts/run_checks.py
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ def _run_subprocess(name, args):
     """Run a checker via subprocess."""
     try:
         return subprocess.call([name] + args)
-    except FileNotFoundError:
+    except OSError:
         traceback.print_exc()
         return None
 
diff --git a/scripts/setupcommon.py b/scripts/setupcommon.py
index a640f6f5a..0d9219fe4 100644
--- a/scripts/setupcommon.py
+++ b/scripts/setupcommon.py
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ def _git_str():
             ['git', 'show', '-s', '--format=%ci', 'HEAD'],
             cwd=BASEDIR).decode('UTF-8').strip()
         return '{} ({})'.format(cid, date)
-    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, FileNotFoundError):
+    except (subprocess.CalledProcessError, OSError):
         return None